Cowboy Bebopis one of the most beloved anime shows of all time. Will it translate well intoa live-action showviaNetflix? It’s hard to say. Even if it fails to meet expectations, fans will always have the original to fall back on which has remained an icon in the industry for over two decades. Even fans not into anime can attest to how good it is.
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Part of the reason why it might be so accessible could stem from the fact that of the 26 episodes, very few of them tie together. The more story-centered episodes about Spike’s mafia past are great, but so are the one-note episodes involving freaky mushrooms, digital chess masters, and teddy bear bombers. What are the best episodes that non-fans can jump into in order to get ready for the live-action adaptation ofCowboy Bebop?
8Gateway Shuffle
“Gateway Shuffle” centers around the gang stopping a bunch of animal rights terrorists. It’s a simple episode in its premise, but the execution is out of this world. It’s the perfect setup for one of the more action-heavy standaloneepisodes of the anime.
It’s still plenty goofy too thanks to the bumbling antics of the terrorists and seeing their leader, Twinkle Maria, becoming more and more unhinged. The ending has a nice karma payback that should teach anyone that terrorism is never the answer no matter how just the cause.
7Sympathy For The Devil
Cowboy Bebopis full of sci-fi plot lines that could only exist in fiction. However, “Sympathy for the Devil” may be the most outlandish one of the bunch. It starts with the crew going after a bounty only to find this man isn’t the mastermind at all.
It’s a child. A child that has magical psychic powers as if he is possessed by the devil himself. Is he? Fans are still scratching their heads on whether these events took place or not. Was bringing on what could be conceived as magic a step too far?
6Toys In The Attic
“Toys in the Attic” pays homage to theAlienfranchise. As always, the gang is hungry. They decide to eat something stuck in the fridge but that turns out to be a bad idea. This thing comes to life and starts taking out the crew one by one.
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By the end, Spike takes a flamethrower to this foody demon in order to finish it off for good. Does he and what exactly was it in the first place? It’s a great episode because it was a legitimately terrifying episode ofCowboy Bebopwhich is not set up as a horror anime at all.
5Bohemian Rhapsody
“Bohemian Rhapsody” is about the Bebop crew taking on a group of scammers. They capture a number of this gang only to find out their bounties are worthless without the leader. While everyone else is trying to track down this elusive criminal, Ed is gung-ho on playing chess.
It’s a sweet tale as Ed finally makes a friend whom they find to be a kindred spirit in a way. Ed doesn’t get many focused storiesin the anime. There’s a sad ending to it, but the journey is worth the watch even if it might be a downer.
4Mushroom Samba
“Mushroom Samba” is one of the funniestepisodes of the anime. Once again the gang is broke and hungry which leads them crash landing on a desert planet. While everyone else works on finding food or repairing the ship, Ed takes Ein on a sightseeing trip.
This leads them to a criminal being hunted down by two rival bounty hunters. One is accused of kidnapping Ed and the other has an obsession with coffins. Plus there are some trippy mushroom daydreams. Good luck on not busting a gut on this episode.
3Requiem For A Clown
“Requiem for a Clown” is almost as outlandish as “Sympathy for the Devil.” It also has a few uneasy horror vibes like “Toys in the Attic” thanks to the creepy clown villain and overall darker color pallet of this episode.
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The animebegins with Spikebeing absolutely demolished by this laughing clown who cannot seem to die. Eventually, as always, Spike comes back from nearly dying and finishes off things for good. Why this villain is the way he is as well as his ending, is a bit tragic. It might make viewers feel a little sympathy toward this devilish clown.
2Cowboy Funk
“Cowboy Funk” is another hilariousepisode of the animeand might be a dark horse overall for the best standalone episode ofCowboy Bebop. It begins with Spike trying to stop a terrorist, Ted Bower, also known as the Teddy Bomber because he puts explosives in teddy bears.
As he’s about to haul him in, another bounty hunter appears on a horse, Andy, who mistakes Spike for the culprit. This then leads to the Ted escaping and this goes on throughout the whole episode. The best part of the episode is Ted not being able to explain why he’s doing what he’s doing because Spike and Andy keep fighting and interrupting his speeches.
1Brain Scratch
“Brain Scratch” is a great episode to highlightfor the animebecause it has something vaguely to do with video games. There is a cult trying to recruit new members via a virtual reality headset.
The gaming references are fun but so are the random ads and TV specials broadcast throughout the episode. It’s kind of like the random TV episodes ofRick and Mortyor maybe it’s fairer to say the creators borrowed fromCowboy Bebop. Either way “Brain Scratch” is a trippy episode.
